Lesson Activity Plan Template



Measuring Penny LessonTitle of Activity:Measuring Penny Grade Level:3rd GradeMathematics Concept Standards:Students willM2.1.1 Compare and order objects by various measurable attributes including calendar, temperature, length, weight, capacity, area, and volume. M2.1.2 Compare objects to standard and non-standard units to identify objects that are greater than, less than, and equal to, a given unit. M2.1.3 Choose a unit of measure, estimate the length or weight of objects and then measure to check for reasonableness.MEA-6 measuring length to the nearest half-inch (M2.1.3)Learning Objectives:Students will practice measuring length and weight of an object in standard and nonstandard units, as well as compare an object to another in reference to size.Math and Literature Connection:Measuring Penny, written by Loreen Leedy, is a book about a girl who decides to measure her dog, Penny, for a school project. Throughout the story she measures and compares Penny in many different ways, both standard and nonstandard. Learn the Content:*This activity should follow a math unit on measurement. The lesson can span 2 to 3 days.Introduce the book by telling the class that the story is about a girl who finds a lot of ways to measure her pet dog. Ask them what ways they think the girl measured her dog (length, height, weight, etc.) and record their ideas on chart paper. Read the story, Measuring Penny, checking-off any of the students’ ideas that the girl in the book actually used. Discuss and record ways Penny was measured that we’d not listed. Review standard and nonstandard units of measure by identifying which of the ways Penny was measured was standard/ nonstandard. Record on chart.Revisit the beginning of the book where the teacher gave the students the assignment of measuring something. Tell the students they will be measuring a favorite stuffed animal or doll brought from home in as many ways as they can. Students are required to measure weight, length, height, and girth in standard and nonstandard units. They are also expected to include a comparison of size. Discuss ideas for measuring their stuffed animal (use ideas from the book you recorded on the chart). Use a stuffed animal of your own to model how to measure accurately with a measuring tape, ruler, and scale. (Optional) Have students record your measurements and discuss ways to record the measurements (make chart, list, etc.—What works best? Easiest to read?). Reinforce how important it is to label the measurements with the unit of measure and to specify what you are measuring.Reinforce the Content Learning:On the day students bring their stuffed animals to school, set up measuring stations at tables or groups of desks. Provide paper to record measurements on, measuring tapes, assorted rulers, and a variety of scales for the students to use to collect the measurement data on their stuffed animal. Encourage students to work with partners as they measure their stuffed animal and to discuss observations about their measurements. They will be expected to not only measure accurately and record their measurements, but to be ready to share with the class their findings and comparisons. Students record their measurements on their papers.Teacher should be observing measuring techniques students are using, as well as how students are recording their measurements.Consolidate the Learning:Discuss as a whole class any creative or clever math thinking that was observed or shared (comparisons of size: comparing to another stuffed animal or self, tallest, heaviest, lightest, longest, etc.). Allow students to reflect in their math journals about the measuring activity. They can explain how they measured their stuffed animal, what was the most enjoyable and most difficult part of the activity, or if there were any measurement questions they still were wondering about (Ex: I wonder how many of my stuffed animal would equal my weight?).Implement the Content: This lesson extends the curriculum materials and gives the teacher an opportunity to observe students measuring in a real situation, and to check off whether or not each child can measure accurately. It also gives the teacher information on any topics that need re-teaching, students who need small group work on specific measuring tasks, and the vocabulary and math talk students are observed using. This activity works best if used after a unit of study in measurement, or upon completion of a measurement unit.Variation/Extension Activities:Measurement data that is collected can be transferred from their recording sheet to a poster-sized construction paper. Students draw a diagram of their stuffed animal, labeling measurements on the drawing. They can add a title and include any size comparisons in text boxes around the diagram. Poster should be neat and colorful.Students can measure themselves (in a similar fashion) as a homework assignment. Teachers can create a customized recording sheet that is tailored to specific measurements. The measuring activity part can be spread out over several days, with each day focusing on a different type of measurement (length/ linear, capacity, weight).Web Resources: (math game measuring a teddy bear)Lesson Plan Created By:Ginger ChristensenLesson Related References:Leedy, Loreen. Measuring Penny. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997 ................
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